Cooper's Foster Buddies:

• Alison and Jeff Rogers
• Jana Papa
• Kristen Gane
• Saira Chaudry
• Sara Bell

Well, it's been almost a week now since Cooper the Thunder Pug came home with us and it's wonderful. He's very much settled in and him and his fur brother Bugsy are starting to become an inseparable pair. Cooper is like a 10 year old puppy! He has tons of energy, especially when it comes walk time when him and Bugsy pull their parents around the block ... we're doing our best to keep up to the two old men! He loves to snuggle on the couch and in bed and is an all-around delightful addition to our home.

Stand by ... there will be a happy tails posted soon from the Thunder Pug's new family.

Cooper is a delightful 10 year old pug. He is super friendly and loves people. He is somewhat indifferent to other dogs, but will play if a game is going. He loves squeaky toys, especially. He absolutely wants to be with his people so will need a home that will allow him on the bed, preferably (to his mind) under the covers.

He was quite overweight upon admission to rescue so his food intake and weight must be monitored as we don`t want him getting tubby again.. He still has some weight to lose. He should be discouraged from jumping off of or onto high places as he is a big boy and could hurt himself.

His thyroid levels were a bit low during his intake blood work and he will need to have his thyroid levels re-tested in 4 to 6 months. If they remain low at that time, he may need to go onto thyroid meds.

He has excellent manners and is easy to walk on leash. His house training is very good.

While he could live in almost any housing situation, he will bark on occasion. He has been left alone while in foster care for 4 to 6 hours with no issues, but a working home (gone 8+ hours a day) would need to have a dog walker come in to let him out at mid-day.

This is a gentle giant of a pug who will bring his new home laughter and love.

Cooper continues to do well, although we're struggling with kennel cough a bit. He's on a second round of antibiotics and if the coughing hasn't cleared up by next week, we will have a look at soft palate/trachea and chest when he gets his dental done. He's not really sick, but the coughing, though not severe, has not improved much.

On the up side, he's down a kg of weight--to 14.3 from his 15.3 at admission. He has had one snarly episode with Hazel when she blundered into him while he had a bone, but I think he doesn't yet understand that she is blind, not a thief. It wasn't a serious event and he's not outright aggressive in defense of his bones/chewies so far. He certainly doesn't react when I take anything away from him. I think that high value chewies are a new thing for him so he is somewhat protective of them. He and Tank get along very well and are happy to sleep together and share space.

Cooper has had his initial vetting work done and is now up to date on all his vaccines. His bloodwork all came back showing only a couple of "off" results. His thyroid levels were a tad low, but the vet isn't convinced he is a "thyroid" dog and would like to re-test his T4 levels in 4 to 6 months. He also showed a slightly high white blood cell count, but that is likely due to his teeth needing some cleaning. Although his teeth do need a cleaning, they aren't in dreadful shape and he is in remarkably good shape for a 10 year old, chubby pug! He has great muscle tone and development underneath the fat, has excellent energy and loves to romp and play -- especially with squeaky toys.

He has settled in nicely with the resident cats and dogs and has yet to display any concerning behaviours. He seems to be well house trained and enjoys his walks and outings. He is extremely friendly and outgoing. In short, he is a delightful guy. He will be getting his teeth cleaned in early January and should then be ready for a forever home. If he continues on the way he is, this gentleman will be a blessing to his new family. He is affectionately called the Thunder Pug on occasion due to his exuberance. However, he sits nicely for treats, isn't snatchy and is polite on leash.

Cooper is a 10 year old neutered male who came into rescue from the SPCA. He is a BIG boy and will need some weight reduction as well as some dental work. He is a very sweet boy, if somewhat overwhelmed right now. His fur is pretty coarse and dry as he had been eating a not so great kibble and he has had to be treated for fleas at the shelter as he came in really infested. More info will be forthcoming as we watch Cooper blossom.

You can see how big he is in the picture next to Tank. Tank is 24 lbs and Cooper makes him look like a shrimp!